Yangon archbishop: from unity comes the baptism of a new Myanmar

by Francis Khoo Thwe

In a message issued for the "Week of prayer for Christian Unity", Mgr Bo calls for unity and cooperation among the country's many components. He also pleads for the defence of the weak and the oppressed, urging Christians to rediscover unity and transcend theological and liturgical differences. The prelate calls for the return of schools and assets seized from Burmese Church in the past.

Yangon (AsiaNews)
- Mgr Charles
Bo, archbishop of Yangon, made an appeal for "unity" in a message to
the faithful he released during a weekend service at St Mary Cathedral marking
the start of the 'Week of prayer for Christian Unity'.

In his plea,
which does not apply only to Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox, he addressed all
the religions and groups that make up the divided nation.

In the country, divisions
run deep, especially between the Buddhist majority and the Muslim minority, above
all in the western state of Rakhine.

In his message,
the prelate referred to Jesus' baptism in the Jordan, noting that the country
is going through a phase of renewal, characterised by "opportunities and
challenges" that must be met and used.

Citing Pope
Francis' exhortation Evangelii Gaudium,
Mgr Bo
calls on the faithful to "look at the world through the eyes of the poor
and vulnerable."

In one sentence,
he said, the Pontiff was able to focus on the "central message" of
Christ's incarnation, namely "That we all need to be reborn in the
suffering of others, [...] the oppressed and marginalised."

Mgr Bo also
mentioned the difficulties experienced by Burmese Christians, as they saw their
property and institutions seized and their right to worship placed under "severe
restrictions".

"We have
suffered," he said in a message to AsiaNews,
"but we survived."

In spite of
their "theological and liturgical differences," Christians can find unity again
in the task of caring for the sick and the poor, said Mgr Bo,
finding the face of Christ in five different groups who need help and support.

For him, the first
group includes those who left their homes, going to Malaysia, Thailand, and India,
fleeing persecution, forced to live in shelters; or displaced within the country
(more than three million), homeless and without help.

Drug addicts and
the victims of land grabs by the land mafia are the next groups. As Mgr Bo
noted, many people - especially Christians and ethnic minorities - have lost
their property and huge tracts of land.

Finally, the
prelate wants the return of Church land and schools to give a new impetus
"to the great work done by [Catholics] in the fields of education and
health" in Myanmar as well as other countries.